So many of us have tried being on a diet at some point in our lives. But 95% of dieting fails. By the age of 45, a woman will have tried 61 diets according to an expert. We will have tried it to make it on our own, tried different diet pills, and signed up for countless programs and gyms. The main reason why they fail to have a lasting impact is that we don’t think of dieting as a long-term commitment. They are sprints; they are shortcuts.
But being fit requires a lifelong commitment to healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle. If you slip, so will your weight. Eating healthy has experienced fast growth in the past few years but still not as embedded in our daily lives as it should be. In Australia, 35% of energy consumption comes from junk food, demonstrating serious obesity and overweight issue that has penetrated most of the countries.
The world’s standard of beauty requires women to be thin and men to have abs. Constant comparison to the unrealistic portrayal of beauty has caused high dissatisfaction with our own bodies. 14% of US men and 15% of Australian men reported body image issues, and while 34% of US women and 23% of Australian women reported similar concerns. It is a growing concern and factor in people’s happiness.
Instead of trying the same thing over and over again 61 times until we’re 45, why don’t we try something different? Here are some ways we can change the cycle and gain back control of our bodies.
Stop Trying to Cook Your Own Healthy Meals
It is nearly impossible always to eat healthy 24/7 or sustain a long-term habit of eating much less than your body needs. We’re all humans. Cooking gets tiring, and there are only so many ingredients we can find in our nearby grocery stores. To this day, most of us buy food items based on familiarity after taste and price. It is also disheartening to try new recipes and fail, which will make us seek out junk food for comfort. Try meal kit delivery companies like My Muscle Chef and HelloFresh. It will make your life easier. The easier and simpler it is to eat healthily, the easier it’ll be to stick to it.
You can use portable blenders always to have healthy smoothies and juices available when you are outside, so you are not tempted to eat fatty, toxic food. If you want to go outside to restaurants instead, use wholistically healthy that offer healthy meals. Remember that sustainable dieting is about achieving balance. You should allow yourself to indulge yourself once a week to maintain your sanity and enjoyment.
Get Help Dissolving Stubborn Fat
Sometimes due to our genes and body types, certain fat cells are nearly impossible to get rid of on our own. Postpartum diastasis recti (‘mummy tummy’) happens to a lot of women. On average, 33% of women still have diastasis recti a year after having a baby. Studies have found that exercises cannot fix this issue. When the brute force of gym routines can’t help us, we can turn to technology. Thankfully, scientific advances gave us new procedures to give us a little boost that we desperately need on our path to a healthy body image.
Few forward-thinking clinics such as Cosmos Clinic offer liposuction, CoolSculpting, and other procedures to target specific areas where you are struggling the most. The results only last if you stick to an ongoing active lifestyle, but it gets us to a starting point we may not have been able to reach on our own.
Prioritise Walking Longer Distance Rather Than Gym Time
Many of us think one hour of gym time is the most important part of our diet. However, exercise and weight training actually help with body sculpting, not necessarily weight loss. Weight loss occurs when we expand more energy than we consume. Thus, being active throughout the day and achieving a minimum of 10-12K steps a day is actually much more conducive to weight loss. Gym time can help improve circulation and, thus, metabolism in addition to toning our bodies, but dropping your weight requires you to move around a lot more simply. Thus, during the initial phase of your weight loss regimen, you should prioritize getting your steps in over gym sessions. Walk to work or walk around the neighborhood during your lunch hours. Request for a standing desk if possible. Find ways to get your feet moving!